Mark 2:1-12
Mark 2:1–2
“A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them.”
Jesus returns to Capernaum as His fame spreads from the prior events. Capernaum is one of the main hubs of His ministry. Even after He had gone out to preach in other towns, people were still looking for Him. Mark emphasizes that the crowd filled the house and blocked the door—setting the stage for what follows.
Though we aren’t told whose house this is, many argue it may have been St. Peter’s house. The people gather around the Word and presence of Jesus; likewise, the Church gathers around Word and Sacrament. Interestingly, Mark highlights preaching here—no specific healings are mentioned at this point—showing how captivated they were by Jesus’ proclamation.
Mark 2:3–5
“Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’”
In the first century, many paralytics were tragically abandoned—no family, no friends. This man is different: he has friends who bear him to Jesus. In our day, true friends are rare; the Church is called to walk together in the way of Jesus.
Their faith echoes the leper’s (1:40): they believe Jesus can heal, and they persist with ingenuity. Ancient homes often had flat, weaker roofs—beams covered with branches and a thick layer of mud plaster—so opening the roof was feasible.
They bring someone who cannot come on his own to Jesus, and Jesus responds with mercy—this has a strong analogy to infant baptism: others carry us to Christ.
For Jesus, the forgiveness of sins is primary (recall 1:15). Without forgiveness, nothing else finally matters.
Mark 2:6–7
“Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, ‘Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?’”
At this stage, Jesus still compels the teachers of the law; even if wary, they cannot stay away. They ask the right question: Who can forgive sins but God alone? (cf. Dan 9:9; Isa 43:25). If Jesus is not God, He is blaspheming. But He is God, and their mental model of how God acts must change.
Pastoral absolution question: If only God forgives sins, why does a pastor pronounce forgiveness?
Ambrose: “In their ministry of the forgiveness of sin, pastors do not exercise the right of some independent power. For not in their own name but in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit do they forgive sins. They ask, the Godhead forgives. The service is enabled by humans, but the gift comes from the Power on high.”
Mark 2:8
“Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, ‘Why are you thinking these things?’”
As readers, we know Jesus is God and searches hearts. For the scribes, this is startling: He discloses their thoughts.
Chrysostom: “The scribes asserted that only God could forgive sins, yet Jesus not only forgave sins, but showed that he had also another power that belongs to God alone: the power to disclose the secrets of the heart.”
Mark 2:9–10
“‘Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, “Your sins are forgiven,” or to say, “Get up, take your mat and walk”? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.’”
The visible healing will demonstrate the invisible forgiveness. This is the first use of the title “Son of Man” in Mark; in Daniel 7, the “Son of Man” is the figure who receives dominion and an everlasting kingdom from God.
Clement of Alexandria: “The physician’s art, according to Democritus, heals the diseases of the body; wisdom frees the soul from its obsessions. But the good Instructor, Wisdom, who is the Word of the Father who assumed human flesh, cares for the whole nature of his creature. The all-sufficient Physician of humanity, the Savior, heals both body and soul conjointly.”
Mark 2:11–12
“So he said to the man, ‘I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.’ He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, ‘We have never seen anything like this!’”
This passage displays Jesus’ comprehensive authority: preaching with power, knowing hearts, forgiving sins, and healing bodies. It also displays trusting obedience: it takes faith to rise and walk at His command. Jesus is so compelling—true, good, beautiful—that we act on His Word, confident it will not fail.